Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel is still addressed to Yahweh. Literally the Hebrew says “Remember to [or, for] Abraham…,” which suggests the meaning “Remember to their credit.” Remember here does not mean that Yahweh has forgotten his promise to the patriarchs, but rather that Moses is simply calling it to his attention. Good News Translation changes Israel to “Jacob” in order to focus on the man himself rather than on his descendants (so also New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh and New Jerusalem Bible). Thy servants uses the word that also means “slaves,” but here it is used in a positive sense, showing respect both to Yahweh and to the three patriarchs, and indicating that they faithfully obeyed God.

To whom thou didst swear by thine own self is literally “whom you swore to them by yourself.” The Hebrew uses the word shabaʿ, meaning “to swear.” (See the comment on this word at 13.5.) Good News Translation has “Remember the solemn promise you made to them,” which brings out the idea of a “promise” but weakens the idea of an oath. Durham has “to whom you bound yourself by oath,” but the idea of by thine own self is only implied. Therefore one may say either “Remember the solemn promise you made to them by your own name” or “to whom you bound yourself by an oath in your own name.”

And didst say to them, literally “and you [singular] spoke to them,” introduces the words of Yahweh’s promise to the patriarchs. New Jerusalem Bible has “and made this promise.” I will multiply your descendants is literally “I will cause to be many your [plural] seed.” As the stars of heaven is literally “like the stars of the heavens.” New International Version has “I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky.” Good News Translation changes the direct speech to indirect, and so the pronoun I is changed to “you.”

And all this land that I have promised is literally “and all this land which I said.” New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “all this land of which I spoke.” I will give to your descendants uses the same word meaning “your [plural] seed.” And they shall inherit it for ever uses the word that means to obtain or receive property, or to take possession of land. So Good News Translation has “all that land you promised would be their possession forever,” and Translator’s Old Testament has “they shall occupy it permanently.”

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• Remember the strong promise you made to your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. By using your own name, you promised, “I will cause them to have as many descendants as there are stars in the sky, and I will give their descendants this land forever.”

Quoted with permission from Osborn, Noel D. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Exodus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1999. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .